You may remember that this was the famous flight that lost both its engines from bird strikes just seconds after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York City.

Its skillful pilot, Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger (who, because of this flight and its eventually successful, fatality-free crash landing, was awarded the Master’s Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots) flew the plane like a glider and brought it down silently in the Hudson River, right beside the ferry terminals. 1

Within four minutes, boats were on the scene to pluck the passengers out of the icy water within. The flight went down in American history as “the Miracle on the Hudson3.”

All 155 people on the airplane that day survived to live life with new insight. Mr. Elias’s story is both gripping and positive, and in his discussion on the TED stage he explains that, if we listen to his wisdom, we don’t have to personally survive such a harrowing experience to take away three simple messages:

Why Elias’ experience was life changing…

You might need a little refresher course on that remarkable landing and outcome. If so, here’s a flight simulation from Trial Graphics and 3D Animation with the actual cockpit recording embedded into the flight pattern shown in the animation. It’s simply unbelievable…

Can we learn from Ric Elias’ advice, and make it life changing without a narrow-miss of our own?

Stay open, curious and hopeful!

~ Dr. Lynda

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